The invention relates generally to an agricultural implement and, more particularly, to a scraper for a coulter assembly.
In agricultural settings, disc openers are typically towed behind a work vehicle, such as a tractor, via a mounting bracket secured to a rigid frame of a disc drill. Disc openers are generally configured to excavate a trench into soil and to deliver seeds, fertilizer, or other products into the trench. Specifically, certain disc openers include a disc, such as a coulter, that cuts into the soil as the disc opener moves along the terrain. A penetration depth of the disc is generally regulated by a gauge wheel, which is typically positioned adjacent to the disc and rotates across the soil surface. The disc is positioned below the gauge wheel such that the disc penetrates the soil. A vertical offset distance between the disc and the gauge wheel determines the penetration depth (e.g., seed depth, furrow depth) of the disc.
Such disc openers often include a scraper disposed adjacent to the disc to remove accumulated soil. In certain configurations, the scraper is positioned along a soil engaging portion of the disc. Such scraper configurations serve to remove soil that may otherwise accumulate on the disc, to maintain the trench profile formed by the disc, and to increase the consistency of seeding depth. In certain configurations, the disc may be angled relative to the direction of travel to increase the width of the excavated trench. Consequently, contact between the side of the disc and the soil will induce a force on the flat disc, thereby deflecting an outer portion of the disc relative to a central portion of the disc along a substantially arcuate path. Therefore, contact between the outer portion of the disc and a bottom edge of the scraper will drive the scraper away from the disc, thereby creating a gap between the scraper and the disc. As a result, the effectiveness of the scraper may be substantially reduced, and/or debris may become lodged between the scraper and the disc.